


Warm-Up Week: Draco / Dragon

by DramioneLDWS



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:08:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 31
Words: 10,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25789345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DramioneLDWS/pseuds/DramioneLDWS
Summary: Each chapter is an individual drabble written by a single participant.Please mind the tags/triggers at the top of each entry.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 171
Kudos: 87
Collections: Dramione Last Drabble Writer Standing - Round 2





	1. Midsommar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Midsommar  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 348  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Msmerlin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Msmerlin/pseuds/Msmerlin)

If someone had told her she’d wind up here, in his bed the morning after drinking too much she would have told them they were _clearly_ taking too many potions. She would have asked if they were mad, or just daft. She would have laughed it off.

Not because he wasn’t handsome. No, Malfoy was exceedingly handsome… 

and brilliant… 

and an absolute arsehole—all of which he knew. 

No, it was mainly because she, without a single doubt, abhorred him.

When he’d shown up at the Wizengamot three years prior, she almost quit—frankly, had it not been for Hiram telling her that under no circumstances would he accept her resignation after a very poor meeting with the Senior Warlocks, she probably would have tired.

Thankfully, they seldom worked together in the beginning, however their career paths, it seemed, were the same, and over the past year she was forced on countless assignments with the bothersome blond.

Time had been kind to him aesthetically speaking, but his personality was still something to be desired.

Curt to a fault, snarky past the point of reason, and aloof. 

To say Malfoy had grown into a well-mannered man would have been a lie, and the patience to deal with him finally diminished last night.

It was poor timing to confront him on a work trip, though in retrospect it might have been influenced by numerous glasses of giggle-water she’d downed.

Hiram sent them to the Swedish Ministry. Representatives for the annual Midsommar Festival. _‘Behavior yourselves.’_ he’d teased, which had been laughable, but now felt like a prophecy. 

She hadn’t planned this—Merlin no, but somehow telling him off grudge-shagging until three in the morning. And the worst part… was her desire to do it again.

Hermione watched him sleep beside her, the milky expanse of skin on his back marred by redlines—evidence of their tryst the night before. She’d chewed on her thumbnail, debating how she might slip out undetected. Just when she’d found fortitude to slip from beneath the sheets, she felt fingers curl around her wrist, halting her retreat.

“Going somewhere, Granger?”


	2. Second Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Second Thoughts  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 347  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [persephone_stone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/persephone_stone/pseuds/persephone_stone)

5TH PLACE  


The roar of the crowd was deafening, even louder than the roar of the dragons in the distance, all ready and waiting for the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. 

Draco Malfoy sat with the rest of his Slytherin housemates in the makeshift stadium, eyes narrowed at the tent in which Saint Potter and the other champions had disappeared into. He’d been sitting here for hours, arriving long before sunrise, the constellation he was named after still visible in the predawn sky. Lack of sleep and numb fingertips were a small price to pay for ensuring a front-row seat to Potter’s failure. 

He couldn’t bring himself to wish death upon his nemesis, but he _would_ love to see him humiliated and hurt, with maybe a burned arse or a few broken bones.

A flash of red from the corner of his eye dragged his attention away from his daydreams, eyes narrowing at the unmistakable form of Hermione Granger moving stealthily along the outside of the tent, Gryffindor scarf peeking from beneath her mass of hair. 

A hot flush crept up his neck, heart beating faster as he watched her. He cursed himself, cursed his body’s helpless reaction to the graceful way she moved, to the natural beauty of her delicate features. Ever since she had broken his perfect nose at the end of last year, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind. She was his biggest secret and his deepest source of confusion. If mudbloods were so inferior, as his father had raised him to believe, then how did one explain _her?_

Just as he thought this, her eyes lifted. Met his. Held. His breath caught in his throat, but then the moment was broken as she ducked inside of the tent.

The next morning, when Draco unfolded his copy of _The Daily Prophet,_ he was greeted with the enormous, heart-shaped headline HARRY POTTER’S SECRET HEARTACHE, complete with a moving photo of Hermione tenderly embracing Potter over and over again. Scowling, he promptly changed his mind. 

He wished that dragon _had_ killed Potter.


	3. Happy Anniversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Happy Anniversary  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 326  
> Warnings: Major Character Death
> 
> AUTHOR: [Vesperswan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vesperswan/pseuds/Vesperswan)

“Happy anniversary Hermione. You look perfect” Hermione heard from behind her as she put the finishing touches on her makeup.

“Happy anniversary Draco. I love you. Can you believe it has been seventy five years?” Hermione asked as they walked out on the balcony. 

Relaxing on the balcony off of their sitting room, Hermione and Draco settled into their favorite chair to find her favorite constellation. This was always one of her favorite things to do. When she was sad, angry, happy, just couldn’t sleep-sitting on the balcony looking at the stars made her feel more connected to Draco.

“There it is. Draco, the dragon. I am always watching and protecting you-not matter where you are or where I am.” 

“Draco, always my protector. Even when we are apart. I better head to the party. I’ll be back soon. I love you ” Hermione had tears glistening in her eyes, she set his portrait down on her bedside table.

Hermione enjoyed seeing all her friends and family for a while, but Draco was the one she really wanted to spend the evening with. She said her thank yous and good nights, then headed back to her rooms. She and Draco spent the rest of the night on the balcony talking and watching Draco, the dragon. Sometime after midnight, Hermione closed her eyes and took one last breath.

As Scorpius passed by his study on his way to bed, he thought he heard laughing coming from inside. Opening the door to see who was lurking, he saw no one. With a shrug, he shut the door and went to bed. He would check on his mum in the morning

“I told you we had to be quiet, Draco. We will tell Scorp in the morning” Hermione giggled.

She joined Draco in his main portrait in the early hours of the morning. Draco constellation filled the smaller portrait still on the balcony, forever watching over the Manor gardens.


	4. Midsommar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Seventeen Silver Stars  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 348  
> Warnings: Major Character Death
> 
> AUTHOR: [LumosLyra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LumosLyra/pseuds/LumosLyra)

Rationally, she knew there were more than seventeen stars in the constellation. They’d had the conversation more times than she could count as he spouted off every known fact related to his namesake, but double stars, nebulas, and the rest were not easy to portray in the luminescent ink she had chosen.

Seventeen interconnected silver stars.

Simple.

Uncomplicated. 

Joined together with a single inky red string between them, reminiscent of the one she could no longer see connected to her pinky, the argent marks were representative of each year of his life. In time, the string connected to her pinky had faded from crimson to blush to the sweet, pale pink of a cherry blossom in spring until finally, it disappeared altogether and she was left with nothing but an ache in her heart and no more tears to cry. 

She felt the prick of the wand at her shoulder as another miniscule droplet of silver was embedded into her dark skin, to forever stand out and shine just as brightly as he would have.

_Should have._

The ache had yet to fad and likely never would, though the tears still flooded her cheeks in early May. 

Another press of the wand to her flesh, searing the final star in its place. 

Idly, she glanced down at her hand as the artist connected the silvery marks with the white-hot tip of his wand, forever uniting them in the red string she could no longer see, the connection she could no longer feel to the man to whom she had given her entire heart all those years ago. 

“All done, miss.” 

All she could do was nod and hand over the galleons required for the service. 

Later, she stood before the mirror, tracing each tiny dot with the tip of her finger from where the constellation began over her shoulder to where it ended with the final star settled just over her heart. 

“I miss you,” she admitted out loud. 

The spectral presence at her back, the one that never aged but was never far away, whispered, “I know.”


	5. The Guardian [1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Guardian  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 348  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [NotAMuggleMiss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotAMuggleMiss/profile)

It should have been a perfectly normal Saturday morning. In fact, it had been, until Hermione had decided to take a stroll through the gardens of Malfoy Manor to enjoy the crisp autumn air, only to come face to face with a dragon.

The bright green beast was thrashing about in circles in a terraced area too small for its body, clearly distressed. When it turned to face her with large, stormy, grey eyes, she had to bite her lip to keep from bursting out laughing.

“Draco! Whatever were you thinking! You never should have attempted your first transformation alone!”

The large Welsh Green sat back on its haunches and huffed, sending smoke shooting out of its nostrils. It glared at her petulantly, which did nothing to help keep her giggles at bay. She took a deep breath.

“Are you stuck, love?” Hermione asked in a gentler tone.

The dragon awkwardly shook its massive head ‘yes’ before dropping it down to rest it on its front legs.

Pulling her wand from her sleeve, Hermione carefully intoned the incantation to force a wizard back out of his animagus form. Draco sat up slowly and rested his face between his knees before bring his arms up to cover his head. She approached him with small, measured steps and kneeled down beside him.

“What happened?” she soothed, running a hand softly over his hair.

“Stupid birds,” he said with a sigh, raising his eyes to meet hers. “ They were eating the last of your favourite berries, I thought maybe I could scare them away more effectively if I...well, you know.”

She smiled at him, her eyes shining with mirth.

“I love you, my big, fierce, dragon guardian.” Hermione giggled. “Thank you for saving my berries from the peacocks.”

Draco groaned.

“They ate the berries before they attacked me, that’s how I panicked and got stuck,” he whimpered. 

Hermione leaned forward and placed her lips against his. Pulling back, she brought her hand up to cup his cheek tenderly. 

“Don’t worry, love. You’re better than berries.”

Then she kissed him again.


	6. Legacy of Draco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Legacy of Draco  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 350  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [JCOBryan1990](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JCOBryan1990/pseuds/JCOBryan1990)

Draco loved the feeling of the crisp autumn night as he worked on his Astronomy assignment. He was to observe and chart Orion. His peace was interrupted when from behind him he heard his name.

"Draco?"

Glancing over his shoulder Hermione Granger, Hogwarts resident swot, stood in the doorway, her hands twisting together like pretzels. Looking back to the heavens through the lens, Draco said, "I still have thirty minutes."

"I know. I came to ask you for your help." Hermione prayed he wouldn't laugh at her. 

It didn't happen. Draco snickered before responding to her, "My help? When in the last seven years have you ever needed help and why would you ask me?"

Turning to look at her, Draco watched as she stood straighter to meet his grey eyes with her deep amber ones as she quietly spoke, "I don't like asking for help. Although, I need clarification with the historical aspect for the presentation to the class. You just have intimate knowledge of my constellation. I felt you would be the best resource than the books that I found from the library."

Stepping slowly closer to him before she continued, "Ironically, I've had to research and chart the constellation Draco." He didn't miss the small blush on her cheeks while avoiding his eyes the closer she came to him. "I've read that both Athena and Hercules defeated the dragon. Athena against the Titans and Hercules to retrieve the Golden Apples of Hesperides. It seems Draco was powerful but was sadly defeated. I don't fully understand that. Am I missing something important?"

Placing her hands in his, "His defeats do not define his power. There is another part to his legacy. Draco is also the Guardian of the Golden Fleece. That's where," he reached over to trace her jaw with his fingers, looking into her eyes, moving closer, his voice becoming a whisper, before his lips were mere inches from hers, "his true power lies in his ability to protect what is his."

Draco closed his lips over hers briefly before whispering, "Mine."

Smiling, "Yours" she responded.


	7. Searching for a Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Searching for a Name  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 344  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Tridogmom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tridogmom/pseuds/Tridogmom)

“Draco said you’re having problems settling on a name?” Narcissa asked, coming to sit next to Hermione on the garden bench. 

Hermione and Draco were expecting their first child any day. The fact that Hermione had yet to decide on a name was a constant thorn in her side. Draco wanted to carry on the Black celestial name tradition, but Hermione couldn’t find one she liked or that wasn’t already used.

“Yes, and it's maddening that I can’t pick one.” Hermione laid her head on Narcissa’s shoulder. “How did you and Lucius decide on Draco?” 

“It was an easy choice, one I made long before I married Lucius. Growing up, learning about Greek mythology was a requirement since everyone, but me, was given Greek celestial names. My father loved Herbology and tended a large garden on our estate. I was named after his prized flower, the _Narcissus poeticus_ , because it was a Greek name and a star-shaped flower. He always called me and my sisters his Hesperides, and even planted a golden apple tree in his garden which we weren’t allowed to touch.”

Hermione closed her eyes and could imagine Narcissa and her sisters dancing like nymphs in their father’s garden. Laughing, twirling, singing, and dancing with the innocence of youth, sneaking apples when they thought they could get away with it.

“As I’m sure you’re aware, a serpent was sent to the garden to guard the tree before he was killed by Hercules and then Hera placed the dragon in the sky as a constellation,” Narcissa continued. “It was our favourite story and my sisters and I made a pact that whoever had a boy first would name him Draco.”

“That’s a lovely story,” Hermione said. 

She was more conflicted than ever. She wanted a name with a strong meaning or memory behind it, but nothing fit. If only she could name her unborn son after her father. Hermione sat up. _That was it! _A hippie at heart, her father loved telling people he was so stubborn because he was a Scorpio.__

__“Scorpius.”_ _


	8. Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Desire  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 350  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [anne_ammons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anne_ammons/pseuds/anne_ammons)

Draco was a possessive fucker. He didn’t care to share. That much he knew — what was his, was his, so it bothered him to see that wanker, Weasley, sniffing around the object of his affections.

Weasley didn’t know, of course. No one did, least of all the bushy-haired brunette that had unknowingly captured his attention — it would have been a problem for them both. However, that did little to quell his inner beast.

He had come to covet Hermione Granger without even realizing it. It had happened slowly. While she was an annoying little swot, he had developed a begrudging admiration for her intellect — the one person who continually bested him. And as he studied her, he began to notice things - the turn of her nose, the way she chewed on a sugar quill while studying, how she went out of her way to help younger students. 

Granger didn’t exude femininity, unlike those who didn’t have other qualities to compensate (read: Pansy), but Draco was sure that the body she hid under her robes would fit quite nicely with him curled around it. 

And her character… She was a bloody Gryffindor with the intellect of a Ravenclaw and the heart of a Hufflepuff, always a champion for the underdog — which meant he’d never get a proper chance with her. 

Therefore, he was left with the scraps he could manage, masking his interest in sneers and jibes. What else could he do? He had become quite proficient at provoking a reaction from her, because negative attention was better than nothing at all.

She rose to follow the ginger bastard. Fuck. He panicked, slipping his wand into his hand and muttered a charm to cause her books to tumble to the floor.

He stooped to help pick them up, letting his hand brush against hers innocently.

“Clumsy mudblood.”

She stilled and looked at him with fire in her eyes. 

He’d make it up to her later, once it was safe for her to be his. Until then, this would have to do. This would have to keep the dragon at bay.


	9. The Star in Our Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Star in Our Hearts  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 350  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [FirewhiskySoul](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FirewhiskySoul/pseuds/FirewhiskySoul)

Music filtered through trees, soft and ethereal, but light and uplifting at the same time. Crickets chirping, owls hooting, and frogs singing masked the notes slightly as a light breeze rustled the tree limbs around them. Fairies twirled through air, lending a soft glow to the meadowed clearing. 

The long grass tickled Hermione’s feet as she let Draco’s arms encircle her. Leaning back against his chest, with his hands lightly gripping her waist, Hermione finally felt complete. He squeezed her sides and leaned down to kiss the side of her head. 

“Are you happy now?” he whispered. The side of her mouth twitched up as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

“Almost.” She turned her head back to look up at the stars. So many stories were contained in the heavens, stories dating back millenia. Hermione glanced up at Draco when he straightened and looked up as well. “Where is it?” she asked him as she settled back once more against his much larger frame.

Instead of answering, Draco loosened his left hand from her waist and entwined his fingers with her own. He had to bend down again in order to raise their joined hands, but he used his finger to trace across the night sky. “Just there,” he breathed against her cheek. “Do you see it? It’s the third one over from that bright one.” 

Hermione’s breath caught when she found it. Her eyes beheld the sight for a moment longer before she disentangled herself, spun in his arms, and grabbed his shoulders to keep him closer to her height. His smile was soft as he took in her expression, and her heart swelled with love once again. Draco lifted a hand to cup her cheek, smoothing over her skin with his thumb. “Now we’ll be forever together in the heavens,” he said before sweeping her up for a soul-shattering kiss.

The star now named Hermione Malfoy was nestled comfortably within the constellation of Draco, while the woman herself was surrounded body, mind, and soul by the man she’d finally married that day.


	10. A Family Tradition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: A Family Tradition  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 339  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Charlie9646](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charlie9646/pseuds/Charlie9646)

Draco’s name had been the first gift his mother gave him and one of the best she had. The was power and strength he pulled from the Black family tradition, which was like a dragon guarding his soul. The Malfoys and the Blacks had many traditions to forget, but being named after stars was not one.

He was Draco Lucius Malfoy, and that was something that no one would be able to take from him. They could strip the manor from him, they could lock up his father, the Dark Lord could even send him to do the impossible, but that fact would never change. Until Draco wished he could be anyone else. After the war there had been great shame in his name, his family and even in his _very_ blood status. 

Staring down sharply at his forearm and the dark mark that marred it, Draco sighed. And then _she_ came into his life. 

Hermione Granger. 

Blaise called her a wrecking ball, his mother called her their saving grace, and father mumbled things that Draco would not care to _think_. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought it mattered what they thought, and they were awaiting the birth of their son. 

His parents wanted him to follow the family tradition when it came to naming him. Hermione didn’t mind first name tradition, if anything she loved it. Stacks of books on the subject cluttered her bedside. 

But, she wanted his middle name to be after _her_ father. Being that her family name was going to die with her. It had been a family name, after all. 

Picking up his quill Draco wrote out a letter saying to his father just that. Their son would be Scorpius William Malfoy. And there was nothing his parents could do about it. Smiling at the thought of what shade of purple, his father’s face might turn when he read the letter. _His_ grandson named after a muggle?

To survive the Malfoys had to change and this tradition was one.


	11. The Dragon's Golden Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Dragon's Golden Girl  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 350  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Lolitaweasley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lolitaweasley/pseuds/Lolitaweasley)

He couldn’t take it anymore. Between the crazed laughter of his aunt and the pain filled screams of Granger, he knew it had to end.

“Stop!” he shouted as he dodged his father and moved to stand between his aunt and girl he had spent his whole life tormenting. The girl he had spent his whole life secretly admiring.

His chest heaving as he tried to calm himself while staring into the deranged eyes of his aunt Bellatrix.

“Draco! Come back here. This doesn’t concern you,” his father spat from the side of the ball room where he stood next to Draco’s mother. She had her eyes closed as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Nephew, what do you think you are doing?” his aunt Bellatrix cackled. “Are you actually trying to protect that dirty mudblood?”

“Don’t call her that!”

“Draco,” he heard a small, strained voice call from behind him.

Ignoring her he moved closer towards his aunt. “This does concern me father. I’ve had enough. I think we’ve all had enough.”

“But Draco, my boy, you wouldn’t want to disappoint the Dark Lord again, would you?” his aunt called teasingly as she lifted her wand in Hermione’s direction again. “Crucio!”

“I said stop!” he cried as he lunged at Bellatrix, the curse hitting him in the stomach. He felt as if hot knives were stabbing every part of his body and he was sure that his head was going to burst from the pain. He screamed louder than he ever had before.

“No! Draco!” he could only just register that Granger was sobbing where she lay on the floor.

His aunt showed no signs of remorse that she had hit him with the curse instead of Granger. “Awww, the little dragon trying to protect the precious golden girl,” she taunted while looking down on him.

“Avada Kedavra!” a voice shouted and a flash of blinding green light filled the room. Bellatrix fell to the floor. The pain still consumed him, as he barely lifted his head to see his mother standing with her wand pointed at her sister.


	12. The Price of Looking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Price of Looking  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 348  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Misdemeanor1331](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misdemeanor1331/pseuds/Misdemeanor1331)

1ST PLACE  


Draco Malfoy shoved open the Astronomy Tower door, nausea rolling like a loose stone in his gut. He made it to the railing, gripped the cold iron with both hands, and retched over the side. 

Another failure. He would never fix the cabinet in time. He and his family were as good as dead. 

“Are you okay?” 

Hermione Granger looked up from her telescope, a quill in one hand, her Astronomy homework on a conjured table beside her. 

He wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “Sod off.”

She frowned, narrowed assessing eyes. Then, she backed off the telescope. “Take a look.” 

Draco hesitated. Nothing was given without a price, but he’d have to pay one soon enough, anyway. Damned in either direction. 

He looked through the lens. 

Hermione had increased the magnification, applied the infrared charm Sinistra had taught them, and located a nebula: elliptical, woven with blue and gold light, and haloed by a web of orange-tinted stardust. Its overlapping gas rings created a central iris, which stared at him from across the universe. Passing judgment. Delivering a stark reminder of his insignificance. 

“The Cat’s Eye Nebula,” she said. “You see Draco?”

He stood from the eyepiece to glare up at his namesake, which stretched across the northern sky. Hermione traced the constellation’s shape with her finger. 

“He’s curled around it, almost protective. Like he’s guarding a golden apple from the Hesperides’ garden.” 

“ _Protective_.” Draco’s lips curled at the bitter taste of it. Unbearably ironic, too, given the mythology. “Some job he did. The dragon failed. He was slain by Heracles.” 

“Only in some versions.” 

Her tone gave it away. What she knew, what she suspected… Neither mattered, if the alternative she offered was sincere. 

The price of looking. One he was willing to pay. 

“I didn’t want it. I didn’t want any of this.” 

She stepped close and looked up at him, her eyes shining with starlight. Ever since they’d met, a galaxy’s worth of distance had separated them. Hermione bridged all of it with a hand on his arm and a simple request:

“Tell me.”


	13. Even in Spain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Even in Spain  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 350  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [feelingofthesea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/feelingofthesea/pseuds/feelingofthesea)

“Do you see this really bright star right there?” Draco pointed to a spot somewhere above them. 

Following the direction with her gaze, Hermione tried to sink deeper in his embrace. 

This was it. 

Their last night at Hogwarts and quite possible their last night together. Draco wasn’t allowed to travel internationally for another year after graduation and still he insisted she take the offer of an internship in Spain. 

“Kitten, are you even listening?”

Hermione nuzzled her nose in the crook of his neck and inhaled deeply, almost desperately, trying to memorize every nuance of his scent.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” She mumbled, not bothering to look up. 

Draco chuckled and she could feel how it vibrated through his chest. “Oh I was just showing you my constellation and telling you how it supposedly ended up there.”

His voice grew quieter and all of a sudden Draco sobered up, the playfulness completely gone from his tone. “You okay? I can _feel_ you thinking, Granger. You passed your NEWT’s, there is nothing to worry about right now, relax.”

Hermione hiccuped, determined to hold the tears back that threatened to spill down her cheeks. Of course he had nothing to worry about. 

“I’m fine. Everything is fine.” It just didn’t sound like it, not even for herself.

Draco entangled his body from hers and searched her face for something. Soft grey eyes met warm brown ones.

“Listen princes, the constellation Draco — _I_ , can be seen from Spain as well. You won’t be alone, not even for a second, because I will always be there.”

Losing to the tears, Hermione threw her arms around Draco’s neck. Maybe they had a chance after all.

“There she is. Now let me tell you the tale how Hera had my namesake end up there.“ Draco pointed at the sky again, snaked the other arm around Hermione’s waist and pressed her against his side. 

Three weeks later Hermione sat at a peaceful beach in Spain, eyes cast to the dark firmament above her, a lonely tear escaping the corner of her eye, smiling.


	14. Pureblood Traditions My Arse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Pureblood Traditions My Arse  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 262  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [StoneAndRoses](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StoneAndRoses/pseuds/StoneAndRoses)

“Is that- Is that what I think it is?”

“That depends, Granger…”

“Is that your namesake, _tattooed on your arse_?”

“It might be.”

Draco’s nonchalant response, with his pants and trousers around his ankles caused a giggle to escape through her teeth. Soon it grew into a wall of unstoppable laughter. 

It was his only tattoo she hadn’t seen yet. The narcissus blooms on his arm for his mother were lovely, his other namesake, a beautiful opal eye sat proudly on his shoulder, and the rack of potions ingredients that wrapped around his right bicep was appropriate. But this, this was hilarious. 

“I just... wasn’t expecting it.”

“It’s dumb, I know,” he said. “But it was my first one. I was worried to get anything visible lest I scandalize my mother, and it felt like an appropriate two finger salute to pureblood traditions.”

At this, Hermione laughed even louder. 

“Glad to see you’re making the other Black family rebel proud.” 

Draco’s face showed his clear confusion, and she took pity on the perplexed and very naked man. 

“Sirius had ‘toujours pur’ tattooed on his arse cheek.” 

It was Draco’s turn to fill the room with laughter, “What a brilliant man. Toujours pur, my arse. Get it?”

Shaking her head, she said, “Yes, obviously. He took every opportunity to explain his puns.”

Standing from the bed, Hermione walked up to him, grabbing his shoulders to spin him around. She kneeled whispering, “Let’s get a closer look, shall we?”

“Be careful, Granger. I’ve always been told the brilliance of Draco is blinding.”


	15. Gigglespark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Gigglespark  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 350  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [MykEsprit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MykEsprit/pseuds/MykEsprit)

3RD PLACE  


The newly minted headmistress led the Ministry of Magical Education’s oversight committee through the halls of Gigglespark Primary School for Magic. 

“Our students are doing well with the curriculum and are forming strong friendships,” Headmistress Tabitha boasted. “Shall we take a peek inside one of the classrooms?”

They stopped in front of a door, opening it quietly.

A group of small children sat on a woven rainbow carpet. They craned their necks, gazes transfixed as lights danced on the blue-black ceiling. 

Their teacher, Miss Diantha, was a young woman with a thick, dark plait. She traced her wand in the air, leaving a trail of shimmering dust. “And what about this one?” she asked.

“I know,” a boy with slicked blond hair drawled. “That one is mine.”

A girl—who sat so far to the front of the class that she was nearly under her teacher’s feet—scoffed. “It’s not _yours_. You’re merely named after it.”

“My father says that my name is Draco, so everything ‘Draco’ is mine,” the boy said. “What would a Muggle know about stars, anyway?”

“I’m not a Muggle.” The girl’s curls vibrated with instant rage. “I’m a witch!”

“Oh?” The boy leaned forward, his bony elbows digging into his scrawny knees. “Prove it.”

The room darkened as though thunderclouds rolled overhead. Electricity skimmed the surface of Headmistress Tabitha’s skin. The hairs on her arms stood on end—

Although they were nothing compared to the shock of curls on the little girl’s head. Her brown locks crackled with energy, and her glare, aimed at the boy in her class, was equal in its intensity.

To his credit, the boy didn’t back down...although he paled to an impressive degree.

Miss Diantha rolled her eyes. “Not again,” she muttered, raising her wand high in the air.

A blinding light and a resulting crack! ripped through the room as she used her wand as a lightning rod. The children erupted with startled enthusiasm.

Slowly, Headmistress Tabitha shut the door. She turned to the committee, whose faces were frozen in various states of shock. “See?” she squeaked. “Everything is going swimmingly.”


	16. Sweet Significance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Sweet Significance  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 349  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [RoseHarperMaxwell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseHarperMaxwell/pseuds/RoseHarperMaxwell)

2ND PLACE  


Harry and Ron stared in shock at the organized chaos in Grimmauld's kitchen.

"Malfoy,” said Harry. Their roommate was wearing a ruffled apron, surrounded by apple peel and dicing with a potioneer's precision. "What the fuck?"

"I'm baking." Draco scraped fruit into a bowl with the back of his knife, and then transferred hot pastries from baking sheet to cooling rack. "I'd think you could figure that out, even if you're both rubbish in the kitchen."

Ron wandered over for a closer look. "No complaints here, mate. These smell amazing." He reached for one, earning himself a spatula smack to the hand. "Oi!"

"Not for you." Draco glared, sprinkling coarse sugar over the rack.

Ron looked crestfallen - pastries dangled, then denied. "Who are they for, then?"

"None of your business." Draco wiped his palms on his apron and leaned a hip into the counter. "Look, I'll have some sent over from the manor. Berry, chocolate - whatever you want. But I certainly didn't have Ceely teach me to bake just to watch you inhale these."

Harry examined a peel curiously. "What's so special about apple?"

Draco gave a resigned sigh. "These are Golden Nobles. My father had the tree transplanted to the manor for my mother when they were married. It reminded her of a Greek myth and - anyway, these apples are…meaningful." His cheeks flushed, and he turned back to his project.

"Why are _you_ baking, though?" Harry asked. "Instead of elves?"

Draco focused on the bowl, but Harry saw the corner of his mouth turn up. "They'll be better received this way."

* * *

The next afternoon, Hermione stopped in for tea. Draco had been out late with the mysterious beneficiary he’d deemed worthy of his sacred apples, and was spending the day with his mother, but he'd followed through. The boys served her leftover berry turnovers.

"Good." She nodded appraisingly. "Not as good as the fancy apple ones, though. Did Draco make any more?"

Ron's eyes widened as he choked on pastry. Harry patted him on the back, shaking his head with a smile. "Leave it, Ron.”


	17. Midnight in the Garden of Hesperides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Midnight in the Garden of Hesperides  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 350  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [granger_danger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/granger_danger/pseuds/granger_danger)

ADMIN CHOICE  


Draco tossed her an apple. Golden Delicious, room temperature, with a nice heft.

They had to stop meeting like this.

The downside of the Owlery after midnight was the droppings. Otherwise, it was their refuge after rounds, boasting a clear view of the stars.

Neither of them slept much, anyway.

Head Girl had gone to a seventh year Ravenclaw. Technically, Hermione was Headmistress’s Assistant, the consolation prize for a ruined childhood.

They sat on the broad ledge of a glassless window, dangling their legs out.

“Look, it’s you.” Hermione gestured at the horizon. A squiggle of stars snaked around Ursa Minor. “Draco, the constellation.”

Beside her, Draco the boy—Draco the man? A compelling thought—shifted closer.

He scoffed. “I know _my_ constellation, Granger—”

Hermione continued undeterred. “One myth is that it’s the serpent Ladon—”

Draco regarded her, his mouth twitching in amusement. His eyes flashed like mercury, forcing her to think words like _liquid metal_ and _quicksilver_ and _surface tension._ “I’m familiar, Granger. Eat your apple.”

He took a bite, obliging her to consider his even teeth, the pink swipe of his tongue, the schoolyard legends surrounding it. _An O in Oral,_ she’d overheard Pansy giggle sixth year.

Not easily forgotten, that. 

She plunged her teeth into the sweet, tart flesh of her apple, then snickered at him.

He blinked. _“What?”_

“You’re terrible at your job, you know.”

Draco arched a brow. “What job?”

He wasn’t Head Boy, of course. He was her _lackey._ Theoretically, this was his _punishment._

That it _wasn’t_ was its own problem, but that wasn’t the job she’d meant.

“Guarding the apples.” Hermione smirked, wiping juice from her chin. “So will we live forever, then?”

Draco the man stared into Draco the constellation. ”I wouldn’t want those apples, would you?” His shoulder brushed hers, intentional. She pressed back against him, an equal and opposite reaction. “Wouldn’t that mean we didn’t learn anything?”

She contemplated eighth year: nearly over, mostly wasted. She calculated the cost-benefit ratio of stroking his pale fingers. She wondered what anyone ever really learned.

No one lived forever, so Hermione reached for Draco’s hand.


	18. Family Stargazing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Family Stargazing  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 324  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [wish123](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wish123/pseuds/wish123)

“What do you think, Scorpius?”

“I don’t know. It is shiny? I like things that are shiny. I also like its tail.” 

Hermione laughed as she looked down at her four year old. She had assembled a telescope in the manor gardens for them to do some evening stargazing. Her chest swelled with joy as she watched her son hoist himself up on his tiptoes and dramatically squint one eye while he looked through the eyepiece. 

“You know, we could have done this with magic. It would have been a better view.” 

Draco slid into the bench next to her, placing his arm around her shoulders. In return, she rested her head against him. She kept her eyes on Scorpius as he took in his own constellation. There were truly limitations on one's experiences if you only relied on magic. She relished the opportunity to replicate her own experiences for her son. 

“Don’t be such a spoilsport. I want him to have this.” 

“Father, where’s your constation?”

“Constellation, dear.” Hermione gently corrected. 

She watched as Draco moved towards the telescope, glancing into the eyepiece and adjusting it until he had located the constellation that was his namesake. 

“Right there.” Draco stepped back and gestured for Scorpius to take another look. 

“What’s it supposed to be?”

“A dragon.”

Hermione and Draco watched as Scorpius remained quietly focused as he peered into the telescope. 

“That’s not a dragon.” 

She looked back at Draco, who had furrowed his eyebrows. 

They watched as Scorpius squinted harder. 

“I think it looks more like a snake.” 

“What do you mean? Look at how the tail winds… it is clearly a dragon.” 

Hermione lightly suppressed her laughter as she watched the exchange between her husband and her son. She watched as Draco and Scorpius took turns looking through the eyepiece and Draco tried to describe its appearance to their son. 

“Huh,” Scorpius noted after another long assessment. “I like mine better.”


	19. Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Perfect  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 346  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [LuxLouise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuxLouise/pseuds/LuxLouise)

The tiny upturned nose was slightly pink, matching the rose tinged cheeks of his daughter. The gaudy purple bow atop the downy pale blonde fuzz on her head matched the blanket she had been swaddled in by Molly Weasley when she had been by to visit a few hours prior.

“Well done you.” Draco Malfoy told his wife of three years. “She’s just as beautiful as you.”

“Already has her nose in the air like her daddy as well.” Hermione Granger-Malfoy said with a watery chuckle. “We really must choose a name you know. I’m tired of the looks when we say we can’t agree.”

It had been months of the two of them arguing back and forth about what to name their child. He had been convinced it was a boy, Malfoys _always_ had boys, while Hermione was positive their firstborn was a girl. She could feel it deep in her soul and magic. Draco was so sure the baby would be a boy, he had only thought of male names, refusing to believe the baby would be anything but Scorpius, a name that Hermione did _not_ agree with. 

“Scorpius is a perfectly respectable name that is a constellation name, as you know, my family—”

“Yes Draco, I know. It’s a Black family tradition to name your children after constellations. You’ve told me a hundred times as has your mother. I don’t care.” Hermione had told him with a roll of her eyes as she sat in the rocking chair in the nursery, folding a tiny outfit on her bump. 

They had tabled the name conversation, tiptoeing around the subject whenever a friend or family member would bring it up. Neither wanting to upset the other. Hermione had laboured with their daughter for thirty hours before finally giving birth to the first Malfoy girl born in generations.

“Any ideas, love?” He asked.

“What do you think about Eltanin?” Hermione said quietly. “It’s the brightest star in the Draco constellation.”

Emotions coursed through Draco quickly. Clearing his throat, he kissed Hermione’s head.

“I think it’s perfect.”


	20. Of Titans and Goddesses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Of Titans and Goddesses  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 350  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [iwasbotwp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwasbotwp/pseuds/iwasbotwp)

“There's another witch, besides you, who needs to know I’m on your side.”

An unexpected spark of jealousy ignited in her belly, seared up through her lungs, escaping through her lips on a soft, “Oh.” Which was mortifying, because she was merely his handler, right?

Malfoy only deepened her embarrassment when a smirk ghosted his lips. "Granger, it's McGonagall."

That wouldn't have been Hermione's first guess. "Why her?"

Was that guilt she saw flash across his face? Acting on instinct, she reached across the dingy pub table to squeeze his hand. His eyes snapped down to their joined hands, brows furrowed. She pulled back, regretting her impetuousness, and crossed her arms.

Even if she felt awkward, she still had a job to do. "I can tell her. But what if she doesn't believe it?"

"You're going to convince her with a specific message."

His face had fallen back into the blank mask she'd come to expect.

"Tell her: 'Draco Malfoy believes the prophecy. When the Titan and Goddess again meet on the battlefield, he will have chosen to rewrite history. Minerva will fight beside the Dragon, rather than slaying him.'"

" _A prophecy_?" Hermione gaped at him.

"I'm not asking _you_ to believe it. Just to relay the message."

"And she'll know what it means?"

His laugh rang hollow. "She's the one who bloody well told me about it. Kept me after Transfiguration and dropped the orb in my hand before I knew what was happening."

"Only the people named in a prophecy can touch it," she whispered. "She was meant to kill you, unless you stop it."

"Got it in one."

"Why didn't you believe it then?"

Malfoy cocked his head. "Would you have?"

She shrugged. It seemed Professor McGonagall had believed the prophecy. Or at least wanted Malfoy to.

"It wasn't so much disbelief, as not caring," he admitted. "Growing up, my bedtime stories were all about my constellation, so I knew what it meant. But I was a cocky little shit."

"You still are. So what changed?"

His eyes flickered to her lips. "I've got more incentive to live."


	21. Hoard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Hoard  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 274  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [fandomfairytales](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomfairytales/pseuds/fandomfairytales)

Dragons were renowned the wizarding-world over for one single trait.

They hoarded.

Gold, jewels, trinkets, there had even been one Hungarian horntail, studied by a certain famous magizoologist, with an odd fondness for cuckoo clocks.

While Draco Malfoy obviously wasn’t really a dragon, despite being named for the most prominent and steadfast example of one (good old Ladon floating around up there in the night sky), he did carry their main trait.

His prized collection consisted of memories. Tucked away where no one, not even the Dark Lord could find them.

With good reason. If his obsession was discovered, both his and the life of the incomparable, Golden Girl, Granger would come to an abrupt and violent end.

Every interaction they ever had was shuffled away and locked in a box, deep in the recesses of his mind; only to be opened in his weakest, darkest of moments.

She existed as the only light in his dire world, and he kept the Hermione he observed, coveted and loved, albeit from afar, all to himself. What else could he do? The son of a death eater on the fast track to being marked himself… And all the while secretly pining away for the muggle-born witch most hated by Voldemort and his cronies.

She was a paragon of all that was good, and he was… Doomed to suffer his torment, always unsatisfied, always clinging to the scraps of attention that accompanied her vitriol and barbs but never able to complete his collection by possessing the one thing he wanted more than life itself.

He could hoard memories of her but he would never possess her heart.


	22. Golden Delicious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Golden Delicious  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 348  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Farmulosa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/farmulosa/pseuds/farmulosa)

The floor of Draco Malfoy’s kitchen was charmed warm. 

Wiggling her toes against the pleasant cosy feeling of her bare feet against the dark parquet flooring. She hadn’t been awake before him in months. Arriving with coffee and toast, a sliced apple for him, he would always bring her breakfast in bed. 

This morning, however, she had been antsy. She had been running through the events of last night over and over again, sleep eluding her.

_Move in with me Granger._

It had been an instruction. A command. 

_Okay._

Smiling, blushing like a schoolgirl, she had agreed to his demands. Nothing had felt more natural as they sipped wine on his sofa, their bodies at either end and their legs a tangle between them. Loosening the hold the romance of the situation had on her, she opened cupboards at random. 

“Top left,” his low voice rumbled, settling low and warm in her spine. 

Not daring to look at him, in case he asked her another life altering question that she would dumbly agree to, she reached on her tiptoes to the cupboard and found a copper canister sat on a shelf she couldn’t reach. 

With no noise to signal his approach, his warm chest pushed against her shoulders as he reached above her. Turning to tap his wand against the hob, a blue flame flickered below his copper kettle.

Moments passed as his long fingers made precise actions in making them both a pot of coffee. Focused as he was, he seemed to barely notice she was there. You could take the potioneer out of the lab… 

Her mind lit up with opportunity and she stretched out her hand to help herself to an apple. 

“Absolutely not,” he growled, looking at her over where he was pouring hot water over the ground coffee. “No.”

Beaming at him, she lifted the apple to her mouth. 

Fiery fury erupted over his features; her eyes alighted with glee and she took a bite of the Golden Delicious. 

He couldn’t protect his apples from her any longer, she lived there now.


	23. The Orchard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Orchard  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 348  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [In_Dreams](https://archiveofourown.org/users/In_Dreams/pseuds/In_Dreams)

“The common misconception is that the alchemical process only works on metals. This is untrue.” Plucking a perfectly ripened apple from its branch, Draco Malfoy gazed upon its smooth surface, shimmering with the reflected light of an early evening sunset. 

His infatuation with alchemy had been a natural segue from his studies in potioneering, and for many years Draco had buried himself in his studies, propelling past fatigue and his own mental limits. 

In the end, it had taken a single apple seed. 

And now, reaching across the grounds of the Manor for as far as he could see, the glistening golden fruit of his labours. A sprawling orchard of golden apples. 

Not a day passed where he didn’t return to the gardens, kept warm year-round, to tend to the harvest.

“Fascinating,” his companion mused, squinting in the sun as she gazed upon the rows of fruit-bearing trees. Rays of sunset snagged in her chocolate curls and danced in the facets of her eyes.

He passed Granger the apple, shifting on the spot as she traced her fingertips along its golden skin. Her eyes flitted up to search his. “It’s so beautiful—I almost don’t want to bite into it.” 

A slow grin tugged at his lips and he brandished a pocket knife, watching as she sliced a wedge free. She peered at its golden flesh, juicy and fragrant, before popping it between her lips. 

Her eyes fluttered shut as she savoured the bite, snapping back open to meet his. “It’s wonderful.” As she sliced off another piece, Granger mused, “And it’s quite the accomplishment. _Golden_ apples.” 

With a shrug that belied the years of research and painstaking effort that stood before them, he picked another piece of fruit, twirling it by its stem. 

“You do know, of course,” she went on, slicing another wedge free, “Ladon only had _one_ golden apple tree to protect.” 

Draco offered a teasing smirk. “I know.” When her gaze sought his once more he asked, “Will you stay for a slice of pie?” 

Her soft laughter pealed like bells. “Apple pie?” 

“Of course.”


	24. The Reason To Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Reason To Fight  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 347  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Torigingerfox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Torigingerfox/pseuds/Torigingerfox)

War was a bitch. 

That was all Hermione could think of while lying on the hard, cold ground.

Usually, despite the casualties and the grief, she would tell everyone to keep on believing, that it would be over soon. That they would win. 

However, that night the impossibility of their situation finally caught up with her, and while staring up at the sky, she truly started wondering why she even bothered lying to herself. 

“What difference do we even make?” she mumbled. 

All the stars above her should have left her in awe, but they only helped her feel smaller. She was overwhelmed by her own insignificance. 

Malfoy, who’d been still until then, shifted closer, reminding Hermione she wasn’t alone. 

“We’re not going to tip the scale. We’re just tiny, insignificant specks of dust in the universe, how are we supposed to make a difference? Why are we even figh—“

“Granger, stop” 

Hermione turned sideways and met grey eyes. 

“Look up”, he told her.

He pointed at a constellation. “See there?”

“That’s—”

“Draco”, she finished for him. 

“Yes. Do you see the star on the right? That’s Thuban. It’s not the brightest, but it used to be the Northern star for years”

Hermione could breathe again. His voice helped her grounding herself to reality.

Even if their reality was a dirty patch in the back garden of a mouldy safehouse, during a war that had been raging for 2 years. 

“Are you trying to tell me we can win this even if the odds are in their favour?”

“I’m trying to tell you to concentrate on the light, not the darkness”

“I’m scared, Draco” 

“Me too”, he whispered. Then he took her hand and rested his head in her hair, inhaling her scent. 

He didn’t magic the fear away, she was still scared.

But she finally remembered their reason to fight. 

So that they could live in a world where they would be free to hold hands in public rather than hidden away. 

So that they could be free to explore all the possibilities.

Without holding back.


	25. Namesake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Namesake  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 348  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Frumpologist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/frumpologist/pseuds/frumpologist)

It began innocently enough.

A borrowed book. A cup of tea. A small touch here. A lingering gaze there. Several cross-Floo trips. Many nights of side-along Apparation.

Hermione thought it would never end.

She should have remembered that Draco always did manage to surprise her.

“I never meant to fall in love with you.”

The words echoed through her flat.

What an odd way to say _those_ words for the first time. Riveted to the spot, Hermione blinked and was unsure what to say. He seemed...dejected. Hopeless, even.

“I have certain...obligations,” he continued in her silence.

She raised her hand and cut him off with the chilliest of glares. “Obligations? Explain.”

His eyes tightened at the corners. “There’s an old tradition, dating back to my ancestors in Ancient Greece. Our mates—”

Hermione crossed her arms and arched a brow. “Mates? That’s disgusting.”

“Yes,” he continued roughly, “Mates are foretold in prophecy. They carry the mark of our namesake on their skin. It’s—powerful magic.”

Her eyes widened.

She knew Pureblood traditions were often mad, but she never thought they’d harness soulbond magic like creatures. It made sense as she turned the information over in her head: mark a witch or wizard and know without a doubt the coupling would produce powerful heirs. It was brilliant, though she hated to admit it.

“And you're only thinking of telling me this now?” Hermione’s gaze flitted over his face, noting the dusting of purple underneath his eyes. “You couldn't have mentioned this before—”

“Would it have mattered?” he chuckled darkly, shaking his head and causing his blond hair to fall into his eyes.

“Yes. We could have avoided this rather awkward conversation,” she clarified, reaching to the hem of her jumper and twisting herself so he could see the small of her back where a smattering of freckles painted the constellation _Draco_ on her skin.

“I should have known you were mine.”

“Maybe if you weren’t such a—”

Draco scooped her up into his arms, planting kisses wherever he could reach until they finally landed on her lips, effectively shutting her up.


	26. The Guardian [2]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Guardian  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 349  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [KasmiAnn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KasmiAnn/pseuds/KasmiAnn)

“Draco?” Hermione whispered, coming in the back entrance of the house. She didn’t want to wake the children, but her husband had been absent from the garden for some time and Harry and Ron were growing impatient. She peeked in the rooms as she passed them, but found each one empty. She paused at the bottom of the stairs and took a deep breath to prepare herself for the hike up. Being 9 months pregnant left her little energy, especially after a day spent in the heat celebrating Harry’s 40th birthday. 

Hermione reached the top and paused again to catch her breath. Harry and Ron owed her for this; it was their brilliant idea to play quidditch in the dark and they just needed Draco to partner with Ginny for a fair game. Her attempts at pouting were lost on her best friends, even after she groaned loudly while rising from her comfortable seat. 

Hermione continued to waddle down the hallway towards the bedroom Draco and she used when they visited Grimmauld Place. She peeked inside and found the room empty yet again. Where was her husband? 

She crossed the hall to the room where all the children insisted on piling together to sleep and quietly opened the door. She looked inside to find Draco laying in the middle of the giant bed he had transformed only hours before, sound asleep with a book open on his chest. Tucked in on one side of him was their own sweet Cora; Ron’s son Hugo tucked tightly against his other side with Draco’s hand resting on the boy's leg. Above him, Scorpius, James, and Albus were sprawled out in various uncomfortable looking positions. The other girls, Lily and Rose, were curled up beside Cora, the three of them sharing one large blanket. And last, clearly trying to look like he wasn’t also enjoying the story, was Teddy laying by Draco’s feet.

Hermione smiled fondly at the scene and pulled the door closed. She wasn’t about to wake him up. Her husband, ever the guardian, was right where he wanted to be.


	27. Arranged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Arranged  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 342  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [MidnightValkyrie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightValkyrie/pseuds/MidnightValkyrie)

Hermione stood at the edge of the astronomy tower, leaning against the railing and staring up at the stars. Her eyes found the constellation that shared a name with the man that’d been on her mind all day. 

The first week of Eighth year had ended with a bang. Ministry Officials showed up at Hogwarts unannounced, much to the displeasure of Headmistress McGonagall. All students of age were pulled aside and informed of the newly implemented Marriage Law. The officials made swift work of dividing and conquering the group while the shock was still fresh. Within half an hour they were all locked into contracts that gave them two years to marry their assigned partner. 

Her heart slammed against her ribs until their names were called. Then it seemingly stopped altogether. 

Draco Malfoy hadn’t said a word as he signed the parchment with a flourish. He gave her a single glance before slipping from the room. When their pairing was announced, McGonagall had to be removed from the room lest she follow in the footsteps of her Roman Goddess counterpart and slay Draco where he stood. Hermione wasn’t sure if the Headmistress had sufficient power to fling him into the sky, but she wouldn’t put it past her to try.

A familiar warmth pressed against her back as large pale hands settled on the rail on either side of her own, trapping her. 

She breathed in his familiar, comforting scent. “You knew.”

“I did.” His lips brushed the shell of her ear.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” They’d promised no secrets.

“It wasn’t a sure thing until late last night, and I didn’t want to worry you over nothing. You have enough on your shoulders as it is. I got Father’s letter just before they showed up.”

“I was terrified they were going to stick me with someone else...” That he’d be taken from her.

“I made sure it was taken care of and I always will. Take care of you, that is.”

She closed her eyes and sank back into him.


	28. Rastaban

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Rastaban  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 333  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [crochetaway](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crochetaway/pseuds/crochetaway)

Draco slipped his arms around Hermione’s growing waist. He was going to miss her. He was going to miss this. Them. The two of them were what he had clung to during these last years. Now the end was upon them and he wasn’t sure how he was going to stand by and watch her walk away from him. 

“It’s poetic,” she murmured. Her hand was raised, tracing the constellation he was named for. Draco cupped her belly, feeling the tiniest of kicks. They had just started becoming noticeable in the last week. He couldn’t believe he was going to miss the birth of his son.

“It is,” Draco agreed. He dropped his chin to her shoulder and pressed a kiss against her neck. 

“I wish you could come.” He could hear the tears she was attempting to hold back. He’d seen more of her tears in the last few years than he ever wanted to see again. At least he wasn’t the cause of her tears. It was a bitter irony that as much as he hated to see her cry when she left, he was going to never see it again. The planet identified as livable orbited the Rastaban star, the eye of the dragon.

“Is the launch still confirmed for Thursday?” Draco asked as he followed her gaze and looked up at the far-flung star in which their new planet resided. 

“As long as the weather holds. The Portkey leaves Wednesday night. If for some reason the launch is rescheduled, they don’t plan to Portkey us home.”

Draco squeezed her tighter in response. Two days. He had two days left with her. Before she and their unborn child got onto that rocket ship and left him for good. The huge asteroid that was headed for Earth still looked so small and far away as it slowly made its way through the night sky, but within a fortnight he and everyone else who didn’t get off the planet would be dead.


	29. In the Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: In the Garden  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 346  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Kyonomiko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyonomiko/pseuds/Kyonomiko)

NIK’S POST-PETAL PICK  


Rather than the stacks of lost and concealed brick-a-brack she expects, Hermione emerges in a meadow, trees with golden leaves surrounding the perimeter and one tall oak standing at the center

Draco stands before it, diadem in hand.

“He left me to guard it,” he says, mournful and afraid. “Like a sacrifice. Will you kill me for it, Granger? I don’t even- “ he takes a shuddering breath. “I don’t even have a wand.”

“Just give it to me then,” she tries, holding out a trembling hand, but Draco shakes his head. 

“You know that’s not how this story goes. I’m under an oath. I'm meant to fight to a death that will, without a doubt, be my own.”

“I won’t kill you,” she whispers, remembering stolen nights over a year before, gentle caresses of pale skin, warm breath against her face in the dark.

“Then he will win,” Draco answers sadly, and Hermione’s mind races to save her lover as well as the world.

She takes a step forward and he flinches, fingers tightening around the dainty circlet. “Please,” he begs. “I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”

“You won’t,” she says, confident, though she knows he can’t control the spell. The oath will drive him, but he won’t get the chance.

She’s quick with her wand, and his body falls, bound. Sneaking the diadem from his fingers, she leans over to kiss his lips only to have him snarl and bite at her. “When this is over, when he’s dead, this compulsion will break, and I’ll come back for you.”

He’s lost to it, growling and thrashing, so she backs away to win a war, praying she lives to save him as well.

As the door closes, behind her, she hears him call her name from beneath the tree, the diadem whispering in her ear, saying if she loves him she will go back.

Instead, she rends the metal with a poison tipped fang, tears streaming down her face as she continues to beg the fates that he will be there when she returns, her ill-fated dragon.


	30. Clear Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Clear Skies  
> Rating: G  
> Word Count: 349  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [HollyBrianne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollyBrianne/pseuds/HollyBrianne)

4TH PLACE  


"Mum, is it going to rain?" Lyra asked. She cast an anxious glance through the window.

"No, dear, the weather report said—" Hermione joined her daughter at the glass, cutting off when she saw the ominous grey on the horizon. "Well, let's not worry. The ceremony isn't until the evening. The rain may come and go by then."

But, several hours later, the rain had come sure enough and had yet to go. The sunset was obscured by a wall of thick, dark clouds. A crack of thunder sent Lyra running back to the window, tears threatening to spill over.

Hermione was at her side again. "It's alright. We can move the wedding indoors. There's plenty of room in the ballroom."

"No," her daughter answered with a watery voice, "it must be outside."

"A tent, then. To keep everyone dry."

Lyra shook her head.

"You know, rain on your wedding day is supposed to be good luck," Hermione said in her best soothing tone. 

"It isn't about the rain, Mum! It's about the sky," Lyra sobbed. "I need clear skies. I need Dad with me."

Realization dawned on Hermione. Behind those storm clouds was the constellation for which her late husband had been named. She pulled Lyra tight into her arms. "Your dad may be gone, but he's always with you. You don't need to see the stars to have him close. But," Hermione pulled back so they could be face to face, "if you want the stars, I will get them."

Lyra sniffled. "How?"

Hermione smiled despite her own wet cheeks. "Close your eyes." Carefully, she lead her daughter to the ballroom. After performing a spell, she squeezed Lyra's hand. "Alright, you can open now."

Lyra opened her eyes and blinked a few times in confusion.

"Look up."

Lyra tilted her head back and laughed in pure joy. The ceiling had been replaced with a sky enchantment, similar to the Great Hall at Hogwarts, except instead of reflecting the current weather, it was a clear night sky. And right in the center was the constellation Draco.

"Hello, Daddy."


	31. What's In A Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: What's In A Name  
> Rating: T  
> Word Count: 348  
> Warnings: N/A
> 
> AUTHOR: [Articcat621](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Articcat621/pseuds/Articcat621)

"So, where do you think your mother got the inspiration for your name?" Hermione asked her husband late one night while they were in bed.

"It's a Black family tradition," Draco explained, rolling over to face her. "Andromeda? Sirius? Orion? See the theme?" 

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Draco, I'm not daft, I know that. I meant why _Draco_ specifically."

Draco paused, giving it some thought. "Well, Mother always told me it's because she loved to eat golden apples during her pregnancy and Draco the dragon protected a tree that grew golden apples." Hermione cracked a smile at his words. "I think it was deeper than that. In mythology, Hercules kills the dragon, so he's able to take the fruit as he was tasked to do. Hera, who’d placed the dragon there, immortalized Draco by placing his image in the sky." He paused, swallowing. "I think my mother always feared that my father would be like Hercules… that he would be tasked with something that would result in someone, or me, getting hurt." He paused, collecting himself as he recalled past events from the war. "I think my mother had hoped to immortalize me, their only child, by giving me a name like dragon. I think she hoped that I would be a protector and that even after I was gone, I'd be remembered." Grinning, he looked at Hermione. "Does that make sense?"

"I think so," she mused. "The dragon was a protector, and you went through so much trying to protect your mother during the war…" She cupped his cheek, stroking it lovingly. "Maybe you're right? Maybe she did have something deeper in mind?" 

Draco laughed. "Or maybe she just loved yellow apples."

Hermione laughed. "Perhaps."

"Why the sudden interest?" Draco asked. 

"Well, we both have names that are based on ancient stories and tales." Smiling, she took his hand and placed it on her stomach. "And I was thinking we needed to look at some inspiration for naming this little one."

"Are you really?" He asked excitedly. 

"Yes," she murmured, happily closing the distance with a kiss.


End file.
